Each week, NWPE brings its members a round-up of what’s happening in education. From big, eye-catching headlines to the stories most papers overlook, we find the news our members really want to see. This week the Gates Foundation shifts its education funding focuses, a fight brews in Tennessee, and unions continue their contentious relationships with administrators.

Bill Gates Announces Investment in Schools: Bill Gates spoke at the Council for Great City Schools yesterday, announcing over $1.7 billion in school funding. The funds would be used mainly to increase innovation in schools with a focus on networks of schools along with research and development. He cited Fresno Unified Schools, Summit Public Schools, and CORE as examples of innovate school networks he hoped to help foster. This marks a shift away from the teacher quality and small school focus that he encouraged in the past.

Tennessee State Sues School District over Student Information: Officials from the state of Tennessee sued Nashville Public Schools this week. The dispute arose when Nashville schools refused to release contact information for students in failing school zones. The state wanted to reach out to the student’s families and let them know their options. Nashville Public Schools argues that the release of such information is not required of them.

Union Updates: Nine Calavaras County schools are closed today after the local union announced a strike over a pay increase. The union wants substantially more money than the district is offering. In Warwick, RI, a mediator announced that the union and district were able to reach an agreement after two weeks of sick outs. In Ringgold, PA union officials have also announced a strike, cancelling classes after last minute negotiations fell through, while elsewhere in the state in Chambersburg, PA union officials have announced November 13th as the date when they will begin striking in an effort to pressure administrators to agree to their terms. The union was unhappy about proposed reforms. Other areas of contention included pay, teacher-student ratios, and sick leave. In other news, CTU president Karen Lewis is in the hospital recovering from a stroke.